Planning Board sanctions ceiling limit of Rs 75.75 cr

THE STATE Planning Board has approved a ceiling limit of Rs 75.75 crore for preparation of Indore district plan 2007-08 —the first financial year of the 11th Five Year Plan beginning April 1, 2007.

District Planning Officer R C Kosarwal informed that against the ceiling limit, Indore district will submit development proposals worth Rs 80-85 crore and the draft plan will be sent to Bhopal by October 9. Before dispatching the draft plan to Bhopal, it will be discussed at the district planning committee meeting to be held at Indore before October 4.

Department of Planning, Economics and Statistics have constituted four working groups to discuss development proposals. District Plan will have three sub groups — General Plan, Tribal Sub Plan and Special Component Plan. Senior officials of Agriculture, Public Health Engineering, Panchayat and Rural Development and Tribal Welfare Department have been made the in-charges of the four groups respectively.

Each working group will hold deliberations with departments placed under it on the proposed development projects and the budget required to execute them. The proposals of the four working groups will form the draft plan.

However, Centre’s instructions to involve elected panchayat members in grass root planning could not be implemented due to New Delhi’s lack of issuance of guidelines or models on ways to seek their participation. Centre, for the first time, had insisted on grass root planning as spelled in 73rd and 74th amendment of the Constitution.

As a token gesture, it has been decided to send the draft plan to district panchayat and invite recommendations and suggestions from the elected members. It will then be placed before the district planning committee for clearance.

In another step, Board has asked district administration to help the elected representatives in identifying the thrust areas of development, make a reasonable assessment of their basic needs and find ways to make optimum use of resources available in their areas.